Wildlife enthusiasts may find just the right painting, sculpture,
carving or other piece at the 2012 NatureWorks Art Show and Sale March 3-4 at
the Renaissance Tulsa Hotel and Convention Center.

NatureWorks is the Tulsa-based conservation group that hosts the art
show, bringing together wildlife and nature artists from across the United
States and abroad for the event. Art at the show will be for sale, which will
help generate matching grants to assist with a variety of state wildlife
conservation projects.

"This year, we anticipate exceeding 2011's attendance of 1,500 and
sales in excess of $700,000," said John Reaves, NatureWorks spokesman.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 3, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday,
March 4. Tickets are $5, and one ticket is good for both days.

"Our optimism is based on the exceptional work of our featured
artist, Jerry Ricketson, and the return of our encore artist, sculptor Diane
Mason, as well as all of the other very talented artists who will be exhibiting
at our show," Reaves said.

Ricketson won the Williams Award for first place in painting at the
2011 Gilcrease Museum Collectors' Reserve Show in Tulsa. His works also have
been included in the Gilcrease Museum Collectors Reserve Shows in 2010 and the
Gilcrease American Arts in Miniature Show. He has also won the "Peoples' Choice
Award" at last year's NatureWorks show. Ricketson paints in a realistic manner
utilizing loose brushwork and strives for a strong three-dimensional feel in his
work.

Mason, who has exhibited at the National Geographic Society in
Washington, DC, received the NatureWorks "Miniature Award" in 2009. She is the
current president of the Society of Animal Artists and her works are on display
at the Tulsa City/County Library and the City of Edmund.

Mason and Ricketson will be joined by more than 60 artists at the
third largest art show of its kind in America, now in its 30th year.

NatureWorks, Inc. is a nonprofit organization dedicated to wildlife
conservation and education. NatureWorks donated a bronze monument to the
Department last year as part of a plan to make the agency's headquarters in
Oklahoma City more accessible to persons with disabilities and more
aesthetically pleasing to motorists and pedestrians. The monument was created by
wildlife sculptor Stephen LeBlanc and depicts three whitetail deer on the run.
The whitetail monument is one of more than 20 heroic-sized wildlife monuments
donated to others by NatureWorks, many of which can be seen along the City of
Tulsa's Riverside Drive.

"The donation of these statues is a great way to help beautify
Lincoln Blvd and is a great reminder of the importance of hunting and fishing to
wildlife conservation in Oklahoma," said Melinda Sturgess-Streich, assistant
director of administration and finance for the Wildlife Department.

NatureWorks has also partnered with the Wildlife Department on a
number of different conservation projects, such as the Department's paddlefish
management program, duck stamp print program and centennial duck stamp print.
Additionally, NatureWorks has supported habitat work at the Harold Stuart
Waterfowl Refuge Unit within the Deep Fork Wildlife Management Area (WMA) and
the Grassy Slough WMA. NatureWorks also has been an important supporter of the
Wildlife Department's Hunters Against Hunger program - in which hunters can
donate their legally harvested deer to feed hungry Oklahomans. In addition, they
have funded important projects to help schools and libraries in the state
receive paid subscriptions to the Department's Outdoor Oklahoma magazine.

The
Tulsa Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center is located at 6808 South 107th
East Avenue (71st and US-169) in Tulsa. For more information about NatureWorks
or the art show, log on to www.natureworks.org.

A local conservation organization is hosting a
sportsmen-tailored event that offers a chance to pick up new
outdoor merchandise while supporting wildlife conservation
efforts in Oklahoma.

The Oklahoma Station Chapter of Safari Club
International's 27th Annual Convention Banquet and Fundraiser is
slated for March 3 at the National Cowboy and Western Heritage
Museum. The convention features an auction for a range of North
American and international hunting and fishing trips, firearms,
wildlife artwork, furs, jewelry and more. By attending, guests
can help the Oklahoma Station of SCI support a number of
conservation projects throughout the year that are supported by
funds raised by the event.

The chapter has used its funds to support several
projects, including recent black bear research efforts in
northeast Oklahoma. It also helped fund the purchase of the
Department's Operation Game Thief trailer, used to educate
people on the importance of wildlife laws and on how to report
violations. The chapter also is a supporter of several other
projects conducted by the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
Conservation. It has helped fund the purchase of an airboat used
by the Wildlife Department on waterfowl surveys and other
wetland management tasks, as well as several trailers used in
the Department's Shotgun Training Education Program, which
introduces people to shotgun handling and shooting. The Chapter
also partners with the Wildlife Department each year to hold an
annual youth essay contest that provides youth a chance to share
their feelings about Oklahoma's outdoors and to win great
prizes, including a guided pronghorn antelope hunt in New
Mexico. Also, the chapter purchased eight elk for introduction
into an existing herd in southeast Oklahoma.

Additionally, the Oklahoma Station Chapter also
supports the Wildlife Department's Hunters Against Hunger
program, which coordinates the annual distribution of
hunter-donated venison to needy, and the Department's Oklahoma
Wildlife Expo.

"Last year, the Oklahoma Station Chapter's banquet
was rated one of SCI's top five best chapter banquets of all 200
chapters world-wide." said Mike Mistelske, current member and
past president of the Oklahoma Station Chapter. "

Mistelske also said last year's event was an early
sell-out, so guests are urged to reserve their seats.

Tickets are available now for $70, and a limited
number of sponsor tables are available as well. To purchase
tickets or for further information, contact Judy Rork by e-mail
at
oscsci@yahoo.com
or by phone at (405) 703-3381. Ticket forms also may be printed
from the chapter's website at oklahomastationsci.org and either
mailed, faxed or e-mailed according to instructions on the form.

Registration begins at 4:30 p.m., along with the
silent auction and various games. The banquet begins at 6:30
p.m. The National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum is located
at 1700 N.E. 63rd St. in Oklahoma City 73111.

SCI membership is not required to participate in the
banquet and raffles or to be eligible for door prizes. Bid cards
for the auction are available to members at no cost. For
questions relating to the banquet and auction, contact Dennis
Elliott, current Oklahoma Station Chapter of SCI president, at
(918) 298-8299.

For more information on the Oklahoma Station Chapter
of Safari Club International, log on to oklahomastationsci.org.

Wildlife enthusiasts may find just the right
painting, sculpture, carving or other piece at the 2012
NatureWorks Art Show and Sale March 3-4 at the Renaissance Tulsa
Hotel and Convention Center.

NatureWorks is the Tulsa-based conservation group
that hosts the art show, bringing together wildlife and nature
artists from across the United States and abroad for the event.
Art at the show will be for sale, which will help generate
matching grants to assist with a variety of state wildlife
conservation projects.

"This year, we anticipate exceeding 2011's
attendance of 1,500 and sales in excess of $700,000," said John
Reaves, NatureWorks spokesman.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday, March 3, and
11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 4. Tickets are $5, and one
ticket is good for both days.

"Our optimism is based on the exceptional work of
our featured artist, Jerry Ricketson, and the return of our
encore artist, sculptor Diane Mason, as well as all of the other
very talented artists who will be exhibiting at our show,"
Reaves said.

Ricketson won the Williams Award for first place in
painting at the 2011 Gilcrease Museum Collectors' Reserve Show
in Tulsa. His works also have been included in the Gilcrease
Museum Collectors Reserve Shows in 2010 and the Gilcrease
American Arts in Miniature Show. He has also won the "Peoples'
Choice Award" at last year's NatureWorks show. Ricketson paints
in a realistic manner utilizing loose brushwork and strives for
a strong three-dimensional feel in his work.

Mason, who has exhibited at the National Geographic
Society in Washington, DC, received the NatureWorks "Miniature
Award" in 2009. She is the current president of the Society of
Animal Artists and her works are on display at the Tulsa
City/County Library and the City of Edmund.

Mason and Ricketson will be joined by more than 60
artists at the third largest art show of its kind in America,
now in its 30th year.

NatureWorks, Inc. is a nonprofit organization
dedicated to wildlife conservation and education. NatureWorks
donated a bronze monument to the Department last year as part of
a plan to make the agency's headquarters in Oklahoma City more
accessible to persons with disabilities and more aesthetically
pleasing to motorists and pedestrians. The monument was created
by wildlife sculptor Stephen LeBlanc and depicts three whitetail
deer on the run. The whitetail monument is one of more than 20
heroic-sized wildlife monuments donated to others by NatureWorks,
many of which can be seen along the City of Tulsa's Riverside
Drive.

"The donation of these statues is a great way to
help beautify Lincoln Blvd and is a great reminder of the
importance of hunting and fishing to wildlife conservation in
Oklahoma," said Melinda Sturgess-Streich, assistant director of
administration and finance for the Wildlife Department.

NatureWorks has also partnered with the Wildlife
Department on a number of different conservation projects, such
as the Department's paddlefish management program, duck stamp
print program and centennial duck stamp print. Additionally,
NatureWorks has supported habitat work at the Harold Stuart
Waterfowl Refuge Unit within the Deep Fork Wildlife Management
Area (WMA) and the Grassy Slough WMA. NatureWorks also has been
an important supporter of the Wildlife Department's Hunters
Against Hunger program - in which hunters can donate their
legally harvested deer to feed hungry Oklahomans. In addition,
they have funded important projects to help schools and
libraries in the state receive paid subscriptions to the
Department's Outdoor Oklahoma magazine.

The Tulsa Renaissance Hotel and Convention Center is
located at 6808 South 107th East Avenue (71st and US-169) in
Tulsa. For more information about NatureWorks or the art show,
log on to
www.natureworks.org.

30-

Survey efforts planned for state's lesser prairie chicken(February 17, 2012)
The Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
is working to conserve the lesser prairie chicken in
northwest Oklahoma. Collectively - between the Wildlife
Department, other state and federal agencies, conservation
organizations and industries - over $40 million has been
spent on or committed to habitat management and research
efforts that benefit the lesser prairie chicken.

"The Department supports responsible development and
is working toward a shared goal of keeping the Lesser Prairie
Chicken off the Endangered Species List," said Doug Schoeling,
upland game biologist for the Wildlife Department.

The lesser prairie chicken, a unique upland bird
known for it's "booming" call during mating, has experienced
population declines for many years. The species, found in
northwest Oklahoma, has struggled to survive in its native
habitat due to habitat fragmentation and land use changes over
time.

To encourage habitat management practices that will
aid the native bird, state and federal agencies work closely
with conservation-minded landowners on habitat projects
including cedar control, prescribed burning, native grass
planting and fence marking / removal.

"Private landowners are key to wildlife conservation
in Oklahoma, since about 95 percent of the land in Oklahoma is
privately owned," said Schoeling.

Additionally, the Wildlife Department has purchased
several sections of prime habitat that will provide permanently
protected areas for lesser prairie chickens. In the last three
years, over 7,100 acres in Harper and Woods counties were
purchased to create Cimarron Hills and Cimarron Bluff Wildlife
Management Areas. Packsaddle and Beaver River, two other
wildlife management areas in Ellis and Beaver counties, were
expanded to include thousands more habitat acres. These lands
are in key portions of the lesser prairie chicken's range.

Finally, research initiatives like the spatial
planning tool help responsible developers and planners as they
search for sites where development would least impact Oklahoma's
population of lesser prairie chickens. The tool, available at
wildlifedepartment.com, rates the habitat quality of land within
the lesser prairie chicken range.

Data from population counts for the lesser prairie
chicken has been collected for decades, and a new set of
advanced population surveys will start this spring. Wildlife
Department biologists and Oklahoma City Zoo personnel will
conduct listening surveys from county roads in Harper, Woods,
Woodward, Ellis, Roger Mills and Dewey counties. Biologists will
listen for the distinctive "booming" call of the birds at preset
listening locations along the roadway. This is the third year
for these types of surveys, and the data gathered will be an
important tool in evaluating the population.

Also, from March to May, Department biologists will
use helicopters for aerial surveys throughout the lesser prairie
chicken range to locate additional groups of birds.

"We are looking for birds that are not located near
public roads. The more birds that we locate on these surveys,
the more we can understand population status, which could help
prevent the listing of the lesser prairie chicken on the
endangered species list," said Schoeling.

Surveyors will only document sightings of lesser
prairie chickens, and landowners' information will be kept
confidential.

To learn more about landowner programs offered by
the Wildlife Department to benefit the lesser prairie chicken or
to sign up for regular updates on upland bird species, visit
wildlifedepartment.com.

"We urge anybody between the ages of
14 and 16 that's interested in hunting or fishing or a
career with the Department to apply," said Jay Harvey, game
warden stationed in Choctaw and Bryan counties and
coordinator for the Wildlife Youth Camp. "Anyone interested
in coming should note that the camp is being held in June
this year instead of July like the last three years."

To attend youth camp, applicants must
be Oklahoma residents and must turn 14 prior to June 24,
2012, and be no older than 16. To attend, prospective
campers must fill out an application form and write a
75-word essay describing why they want to attend the camp,
why they should be selected and what they expect to learn.
Additionally, they must provide a letter of recommendation
by someone other than a family member and a photograph from
a recent outdoor-related event or activity. Application
forms are available online at
http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/education/youthcamp.htm.
The page also includes additional information about the camp
and photographs from previous years.

The camp will be open to a maximum of
35 youth, and applications will be accepted through April
13, 2012.

As the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
Conservation continues to stay at the forefront of research
efforts to learn about declining quail populations, the
agency's partners continue to lend their support.

At its Feb. 6 meeting, the Oklahoma Wildlife
Conservation Commission accepted a donation of $20,000 from
the Central Oklahoma 89er Chapter Quail Forever.

The donation came from the estate of a Tillman
Co. resident who wanted to benefit quail in Oklahoma, and
the funds will be matched with $40,000 in Federal Aid in
Wildlife Restoration Program dollars to purchase a skid
steer, a tree-cutting attachment and a trailer for enhancing
upland game habitat, particularly in southwest Oklahoma.
Wildlife Department personnel can use the equipment to
remove invasive red cedar trees and other encroaching woody
vegetation on wildlife management areas in Oklahoma.

"It is partners like the 89er Chapter of Quail
Forever that help make conservation happen in Oklahoma,"
said Bill Dinkines, assistant chief of wildlife for the
Wildlife Department. "We're grateful for their support and
glad they are willing to jump in and help us conserve
wildlife in Oklahoma."

In other business, the Commission voted to
approve a memorandum of understanding with the Oklahoma
Independent Petroleum Association, or OIPA, to establish a
collaborative working relationship for lesser prairie
chicken conservation. Through the memorandum, the Department
and OIPA will identify and develop voluntary steps that can
be taken by OIPA's members to avoid and minimize the impacts
of their operations on the lesser prairie chicken.
Department and OIPA personnel have been meeting regularly to
discuss ongoing conservation issues, including the needs of
the lesser prairie chicken.

"This memorandum demonstrates the good faith
effort and commitment of both parties to address the needs
of the lesser prairie chicken," Dinkines said.

The Commission also heard a presentation from
Barry Bolton, fisheries chief for the Wildlife Department,
on renovations to Lake Elmer in Kingfisher County. The
55-acre reservoir is one of 15 Wildlife Department-owned and
managed lakes across the state, ranging from as small 30
acres to more than 260 acres.

"Several of these lakes are close to 50 years
old, and as these lakes age, the fishing can decline and
even fishing access can decline," Bolton said. "Several of
these have been undergoing renovations that transform them
into fishing showplaces that anglers can rely on as true
fishing destinations."

Lake Elmer was last renovated in the late 1970s,
but a 2009 fish kill helped prompt the new renovation of the
55-acre lake. Renovations included removing over one million
cubic yards of organic muck, rebuilding existing fishing
jetties and constructing new ones, all of which would have
cost about $2.2 million if contracted out. Instead, the
Wildlife Department relied heavily upon the skill of its own
lake maintenance crew and other Department employees for
renovations at Lake Elmer.

The Wildlife Department's law enforcement
division helped secure donations and transportation for over
100,000 tons of concrete that was used for rip-rap in the
renovations. Two silt trap ponds were constructed to prevent
the need for future renovations, and upstream landowners are
putting conservation measures into place to slow future
erosion issues. Additionally, new fish habitat was installed
including 200 brush piles and 100 spider blocks built and
delivered by Dover FFA students. Spider blocks are manmade
structures composed of rubber tubes that are concreted into
cinderblocks, then placed at the bottom of lakes for fish
cover. The Department also built and installed its own
artificial fish structure.

The Commission also voted on a motion to send a
letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
opposing the possible reintroduction of gray wolves to the
San Luis Valley National Wildlife Refuge complex in southern
Colorado. A 3-3 vote resulted in the motion not passing.
Since the meeting, the USFWS has clarified that it has no
plans to release gray wolves to the area, but that the
proposition for reintroducing wolves was recorded during a
public comment period conducted by the USFWS seeking comment
for alternative management plans for the area.

The Wildlife Conservation Commission is the
eight-member governing board of the Oklahoma Department of
Wildlife Conservation. The Wildlife Commission establishes
state hunting and fishing regulations, sets policy for the
Wildlife Department and indirectly oversees all state fish
and wildlife conservation activities. Commission members are
appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate.

The next scheduled Commission meeting is set for
9 a.m. March 5, at the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
Conservation headquarters (auditorium), located at the
southwest corner of 18th and North Lincoln, Oklahoma City.

After enjoying some outstanding duck hunting
opportunities this fall after a very successful nesting
season, waterfowlers don't have to stop hunting yet. The
Conservation Order Light Goose Season, also known as "COLGS,"
opens Feb. 13 and runs through March 30.

Designed to reduce the mid-continent light goose
population that has become so high as to cause severe
habitat destruction, COLGS gives hunters the an opportunity
to hunt snow, blue and Ross' geese with no daily or
possession limits and all the way up until a half hour after
official sunset. Electronic calls are allowed as well. All
other waterfowl regulations apply, including federally
approved, non-toxic shot requirements.

According to Josh Richardson, migratory game
bird biologist for the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
Conservation, hunters who plan to hunt COLGS should try to
secure hunting spots in the eastern portion of the state,
such as at Webbers Falls and Ft. Gibson, where he said large
concentrations of light geese can be found on public lands
as they finish out the winter and begin migrating north.

Since 1999, the Oklahoma Department of Wildlife
Conservation has cooperated with the United States Fish and
Wildlife Service to offer the COLGS.

"Adult snow and Ross' geese have a low natural
mortality rate and benefit from the availability of
agricultural crops in the south-central United States. These
geese are living longer and reproducing more, and their
overpopulation continues to degrade Arctic habitat,"
Richardson said. "Because snow geese feed by grubbing and
pulling out plants by the roots, large numbers can literally
destroy extensive areas of tundra."

Hunters who participate in the COLGS must have
all necessary licenses, waterfowl stamps and a Harvest
Information Program (HIP) Permit in their possession while
hunting. For complete license information, see the "2011-12
Oklahoma Waterfowl Guide" or log on to
wildlifedepartment.com.

Federal law requires that the Wildlife
Department estimate the harvest of light geese during the
Conservation Order Light Goose Season. Hunters who plan to
pursue snow, blue and Ross' geese during COLGS need to
register for the hunt on the Internet by logging on to
wildlifedepartment.com
or by sending their name, address and phone number to:
Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation; Attn: COLGS;
P.O. Box 53465; Oklahoma City, OK 73152.

Bernard Brown of Sand
Springs harvested a quail Jan. 19 at the Cimarron Hills
Wildlife Management Area in northwest Oklahoma that may have
looked like any other when he shot at it on the flush. But
when his German shorthaired pointer "Blade" retrieved the
bird, it became clear that something was different.

Brown's bird was part of
a group of 165 quail that were trapped, sampled and banded
by Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation biologists
at the end of 2011 for research. Specifically, Brown's bird
was a juvenile male that had been trapped and banded in
October and released after blood and other biological
samples were collected from the bird.

Hunters were notified by
the Wildlife Department of the possibility of harvesting
banded quail on several western Oklahoma WMAs this season
and were asked to report banded birds if they harvested one.
By doing so, biologists can keep tabs on the mortality of
the sampled birds. In addition to the birds that were banded
and released, close to 75 others were trapped and sent to
research facilities for extensive studies.

The bobwhites were
trapped on 10 WMAs in western Oklahoma during August and
October as part of the Wildlife Department's involvement in
a research project called Operation Idiopathic Decline, or
OID. Studying the decline of the bobwhite quail across its
range is a primary goal of OID, which is made up of a
partnership between several conservation and research groups
including the Wildlife Department, the Rolling Plains Quail
Research Ranch, Texas A&M, Texas A&M-Kingsville and Texas
Tech universities.

Samples from all trapped
quail were sent to universities in Texas, where researchers
are investigating the incidence of disease, parasitism,
pesticides, toxins and contaminants in sampled quail.

"We're waiting for
researchers to give us information on things like West Nile
Virus, avian influenza, aflatoxins - all of the various
components they are looking at," said Alan Peoples, chief of
Wildlife for the Wildlife Department.

Over 40 percent of the
birds trapped in Oklahoma were adults. However, Peoples said
in a normal year of hunting, most of the birds seen by
hunters are young of the year birds, or those that were born
in the spring and summer. About 80 percent of the harvested
quail in an average year will be young of the year birds as
well, with the remaining 20 percent comprised of adult
birds.

Since young birds make
up the large majority of the quail seen and harvested by
hunters, reproductive success is critical. According to
Peoples, extended drought conditions and record heat during
the summer was detrimental for both quail nesting success
and recruitment. In addition to the impact of heat on
nesting sites, a lack of green vegetation led to reduced
numbers of insects that young quail depend on for food in
the first months of their life.

In addition to working
with trapped birds, the Wildlife Department is involved in a
genetic research study through the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife
Research Institute at Texas A&M-Kingsville. The Department
recently provided wing samples from hunter-harvested quail
that will aid in research efforts.

The Wildlife Department
also is contracting with Oklahoma State University to
conduct quail research over the next six years on Packsaddle
and Beaver River wildlife management areas in the northwest
part of the state. Research facilities will be constructed
on the WMAs, and researchers will be collecting extensive
information that could lead to improvements in quail
populations and habitat management.

The Wildlife Department
is now providing periodic updates on upland game bird
research and conservation through a free e-mail report
called Upland Update. The updates are available free by
signing up on the Wildlife Department's website,
wildlifedepartment.com. Currently, more than 800 subscribers
are receiving the updates.

Photo Caption: Bernard Brown of Sand
Springs harvested this banded quail at Cimarron Hills WMA in
January. The bird was banded and released back in October as
part of an Oklahoma Department of Wildlife Conservation
research effort, and hunters were asked to report any banded
quail harvested.

Photo Caption: Doug Schoeling,
upland game bird biologist for the Wildlife Department,
prepares to take a blood sample from a quail before
releasing it back onto an Oklahoma wildlife management area
as part of a research study on the declining quail
populations.

Photo Caption: Jena Donnell, quail
habitat biologist for the Wildlife Department, releases a
quail that was trapped on an Oklahoma wildlife management
area and sampled as part of a research study on the
declining quail populations.

Though Oklahoma's popular archery hunting
seasons for species like deer, black bear and antelope are
done for the 2011-12 season, some might say the state is
still "in the thick of archery season" - at least if you are
involved with the Oklahoma National Archery in the Schools
Program.

The program, operated by the Oklahoma Department
of Wildlife Conservation and often referred to as OKNASP, is
hosting regional shoots across Oklahoma throughout February
in which 2,500 students are competing for a spot in the
upcoming annual state shoot. Three regional shoots have
already been held in Oklahoma City and Tulsa, and two more
are scheduled before the end of the month - one Feb. 15 at
the Stephens County Fair and Expo Center in Duncan, and
another Feb. 29 at the McAlester Expo Center in McAlester.

Those that advance from the regional shoots will
be invited to the State Fair Park in Oklahoma City for the
state shoot March 28, where an estimated 1,200 students from
across Oklahoma will shoot for prizes and awards.

Over 310 schools across Oklahoma participate in
the program (OKNASP), which features in-class curriculum and
a season of practice and competition in their respective
schools.

"Coaches have told me time and again that this
program has helped every child see success," said Justin
Marschall, OKNASP coordinator for the Wildlife Department.
"From the typical athletic student to the child that does
not usually excel in most other sports, archery is allowing
all students to compete on a level playing field."

Marschall said the regional shoots currently
underway speak to the growth of the OKNASP program during
its eight years of existence.

"This is the second year that we've held
regional qualifiers across the state, and we're seeing about
a 25 percent increase in growth from last year's regionals,"
Marschall said. "Holding regional shoots helps make the
number of shooters at the state shoot more manageable, but
another upside is that they provide another fun and
challenging opportunity for the students to shoot
competitively against other schools."

OKNASP partners state wildlife agencies, schools
and the nation's archery industry to introduce students to
the sport of archery. The Archery in the Schools curriculum
is designed for 4th-12th graders and covers archery history,
safety, techniques, equipment, mental concentration and
self-improvement.

Students in 4th-12th grade who are currently
participating in OKNASP at their schools also are eligible
to participate in an essay contest coordinated by the
Wildlife Department in conjunction with the 75th anniversary
of the Wildlife and Sport Fish Restoration Program. Five
winners will be selected, and they will receive a free
Oklahoma lifetime combination hunting and fishing license
courtesy of Oklahoma Archery, to be presented at this year's
state shoot. Log on to
http://www.wildlifedepartment.com/education/oais.htm
for full details.

The OKNASP program can be followed on Facebook
at
http://www.facebook.com/OKNASP
and additional information about the program and the
Wildlife Department is available at wildlifedepartment.com.